The Bluetooth™ radio system is defined by a specification for a wireless, cable replacement solution based on radio frequency (RF) technology. In addition, Bluetooth™ has been specified and designed with emphasis on robustness and low cost. Implementations of Bluetooth™ are based on high performance, yet low-cost integrated radio transceivers. Accordingly, Bluetooth™ is defined as a protocol with a wireless interface. The frequency assignment that is utilized by Bluetooth™ within the United States is in the same radio frequency range as 802.11 wireless LAN (local area network), high end portable home phones, medical devices, as well as microwave ovens. As a result, the required nominal range of Bluetooth™ radio devices is set to approximately 10 meters, although distances may vary according to the power output of the radio.
Bluetooth™ is targeted at mobile and business users who need to establish a link or small network between their computers, cellular phones or other peripherals. To fill this communications need, a Bluetooth™ radio in a phone, PDA (personal digital assistant), headset, notebook computer or other device enables the devices to communicate with each other. As a result, Bluetooth™ is gaining in popularity as a wireless cable replacement technology. Moreover, Bluetooth™ provides a new market segment and devices to solve an age old problem of excessive number of wires used to connect personal computers (PCs) and other mobile devices. Unfortunately, devices in various environments cause radio traffic as well as interference problems in the radio frequencies utilized by Bluetooth™ devices.
As a result, communication information interference can become a problem when utilizing Bluetooth™-enabled devices. In addition, Bluetooth™ devices may cause interference problems with other devices. As described above, the frequency assignment to Bluetooth™ devices is in the same radio frequency range as 802.11 wireless LANs, high-end portable home phones, medical devices, as well as microwave ovens. Consequently, these other devices may cause interference with Bluetooth™-enabled devices. Conversely, Bluetooth™-enabled devices may affect the proper functioning of LANs, portable phones, medical devices, microwave ovens or the like.
Consequently, although Bluetooth™ devices may offer users the ability to replace the myriad of cables for attaching to various devices, the Bluetooth™ device is not immune to radio frequency interference. Hence, Bluetooth™ devices, when operated in the presence of significant radio frequency interference, will often perform poorly or even malfunction, which may lead to dissatisfaction of users of such Bluetooth™-enabled devices. This dissatisfaction may reach the point where users decline usage of Bluetooth™ devices and opt for standard wired connections, as are currently available in various devices described above. Therefore, there remains a need to overcome one or more of the limitations in the above-described existing.